Electric Scooters Banned On Footpath – Here’s What You Need To Know
TABLE OF CONTENT
Electric scooters are used by countless people today. They have gained popularity for being compact, quick, and efficient. However, driving an electric scooter isn’t appropriate on a footpath. In fact, in some areas there is an electric scooter ban on footpaths and boardwalks.
Electric scooters are mostly used by people who live in urban areas. They’re great for moving around the streets of a city with ease. Because of their popularity, new laws and regulations have been created to maximize safety. Some governments have even begun implementing laws that drastically reduce the number of people allowed to drive an electric scooter in an urban center. In some cases, the laws are so severe that electric scooters are banned or have strict requirements.
The main aspect that’s increased the popularity of the electric scooter is they have finally have become economical to purchase. Electric scooters are also super easy to operate, which is why so many people love driving them. With the significant increase in electric scooter awareness, there have been a lot of shared scooter rental companies created.
People can now rent an electric scooter and use it as their mode of transportation for a day. Reserving, booking and using an electric scooter has never been easier thanks to a huge surge in scooter sharing companies.
Electric scooters are great vehicles. They help scooter riders get from place to place when they’re unable to walk. This inability can come from health conditions, bad climate, or other obstacles. With an electric scooter, anybody can cover the distance quickly and efficiently.
Related:
Having an electric scooter can save you a lot of money. If people use their cars to cover short distances, then that’s simply a waste of money on fuel. An electric scooter would be the best choice in this situation because there would be no need to purchase gasoline. Not to mention, it’s an ecological advantage. No fuel emissions mean no pollution. If everyone implemented this mindset then the planet would prosper.
While this new means of transport has changed a lot of lives for good, there are still some setbacks when it comes to the electric scooter.
There has been an increase in incidents involving electric scooters and pedestrians on the sidewalk. It’s almost to the point where there are more electric scooters on the sidewalk than there are people walking.
Because of the number of complaints rising every single day, some cities in the United States have banned the use of electric scooters.
If things continue in this fashion, the electric scooter will be a thing of the past.
Shared Scooter Rental: A Surging Businesses
With the creation of the electric scooter comes the creation of shared scooters . Now, it’s possible for customers to rent a shared electric scooter through an app on their mobile phone.
After their rental contract is completed, they simply return their electric scooter back where they got it. Scooter companies like Lime scooter and Bird who provide these shared mobility devices are booming in major cities where they are located.
Renting electric scooters is so popular because they are trendy, environmentally friendly and fun.
However, their popularity is causing problems. They are used by so many people that there has been an increase in complaints across the nation. In order to deal with this, some local governments have intervened by creating an electric scooter ban.
No matter how beneficial or innovative the electric scooter business is, it won’t last long if the government continues to ban everything to do with it.
Interested in buying the scooter model that shared mobility company Lime uses?
City Government Steps In
Several cities have gone as far as shutting down scooter companies like Lime scooter and Bird scooters and city officials won’t give them the proper responses on when they can resume their business.
If one of these scooter sharing companies wants to resume their business, they must pay a permit fee to the government’s city planning department.
The permit fees are set relatively high and there are additional restrictions, such as allowing only 20,000 scooters to be in operation. In some cities, the number is even lower.
Cities set restrictions for safety!
For instance, back in October of 2020, Washington, D.C. city officials passed an ordinance that allows a total of 7,000 electronic scooters on the road. What about the electric bike? The D.C. city council has permitted the 7 shared mobility companies located in the district to split a 4,000 electric bike limit.
Another city that’s put formalized restrcitions on the motorized scooter revolution is San Diego. City officials have banned scooters from any boardwalk and has set restrictions amid safety concerns. Popular tourist destinations like Mission Beach boardwalk which were once a popular spot for e scooter riders is now off limits. In addition, they require the rider have a drivers permit, wear a helmet, not exceed 15 mph and, when traveling on city roads, the e scooter rider can only take the scooter on streets with speed limits less than 25 mph.
Atlanta, back in 2019 created a nighttime ban on electric scooters citing safety concerns. The city planning department has gone as far as to start planning for how they can create dedicated spaces like bike lanes for electric scooter and electric bike riders.
However, not all cities are negative on electric scooters. Santa Monica embraced the electric scooter revolution and launched a pilot program back in 2019 that provided dockless scooter companies with the opportunity to make their motorized devices available on city sidewalks.
What Can Be Done With The Ban On Electric Scooters?
The job of the government is to create and issue safety rules that are going to benefit the people. One of these rules is dividing sidewalks between walkers and motorized vehicles (scooters, skateboards, etc.). Doing so would be beneficial to everyone.
Electric scooters are great for the environment and it would be a shame to have an electric scooter ban because they crowd the sidewalks. In my opinion they’re much more effective in an urban setting than any other form of conventional transport.
No matter what, there will always be people who drive recklessly on their electric scooter. This is what leads to accidents. In reality, accidents happen in every other kind of vehicle too, including cars.
So, creating an electric scooter ban simply because of how much space it takes up on a pedestrian walkway doesn’t seem fair.
Local Government Restrictions Beginning to Ease?
Though local governments can intervene and block an e scooter company from placing their scooters on public roadways, we are seeing some local governments change their tune.
There are some local municipalities who previously restricted the number of electric scooters on their roads begin to slowly ease up and allow more scooters.
Since people have already tested how effective an electric scooter is as a last-mile commuter solution and a fun way to get around, the internet now is brimming with support from avid electric scooter users and the tide, at least in some cases, seems to be turning.
Safety measures and proper laws will reduce accidents and will caution individuals to pay more attention and be smart while driving. Since the electric scooter has shown its beneficial nature, the world can’t simply give it up.
Electric scooters are too good for the environment and offer great advantages to the people who use them. The government and the companies who profit from electric scooters should decide how they can allow people to have a secure experience with the electric scooters outdoors. This way, everyone will be happy.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
